Means for actuating indicators upon moving trains.



No. 679,580. Patented July so, I90l.

, E. V'ILPOU.

MEANS FOR ACTUATING INDICATORS UPON MOVING TRAINS.

(Applination fibd Feb. 28, 1900.) {No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

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No. 679,580. Patented July 30, I901. E. VILRUU.

MEANS FOR ACTUATING INDICATORS UPON MOVING TRAINS.

(Appl ication filed Feb. 23, 1900.1 (No Model.) 3 Sheets$heet 2.

No. 679,580. Patented My 30, l90l. E. vmou.

MEANS FUR ACTUATING INDICATORS UPON'MOVING TRAINS;

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets--Shqet 3.

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UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDOUARD VILPOU, OF BLOIS, FRANCE.

MEANS FOR ACTUATING INDICATORS UPON MOVING TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 679,580, dated July 30, 1901. Application filed February 23,1900. Serial No. 6,265. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be itknown that I, EDOUARD VILPoU, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at No. 25 Rue Ohemonton, Blois, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Actuating Indicators upon Moving Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for actuating indicators upon trains, so as to inform the engine-driver or otheroperative as to the speed or stoppage of the train.

The subject-matter of the invention consists of knives located at certain intervals along a railroad-track and electrically connected with a signal device in the locomotive or car of the moving train, the arrangement of each knife being such that when raised it will cut through a cord carried in a tense or stretched condition by one of the cars of the train, and thereby cause the severed cord to set in operation devices to actuate the indicator upon which appears the signal indicating stop, slow down, or the like.

In order to make my invention clear, I re fer to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a front View of one form of knife used in my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the knife. Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of the knife at the side of the track. Fig. 4: shows the device for holding the cord on a car or locomotive, together with the means for closing the electric circuit. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 1 2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a front view of the electric indicator. Fig. 7 shows a part of the frame-plate of the indicator relating to the means by which a bell is caused constantly to ring when a magnet has been excited by the electric current. Fig. 8 shows another form of a knife in its position of rest. Fig. 9 shows the same knife in operating position; and Fig. 10 is a side view of the same, the position being the same as in Fig. 8.

The arrangement and function of the apparatusare substantially as follows:

The knives a in the shape of a semicircular disk are supported in the standard 0 by means of a cross-bar b and the lateral stops d of this cross-bar, the standard being inserted in the ground parallel to the track. Each standard has two stops, of which (i holds the knife in the upright position and 6 holds it when inclined or in its position of rest. The cross-bar has in its center a projectionf, which is connected with the signal, switch, gate, or the like by a bell-crank lever and a cord or chain, as indicated in Fig. 3. A knob-shaped counterpoise h on the knife tends normally to return it from a working position to a position of rest.

At a suitable place at the side of a railwaycar is a cord 2', stretched between two arms jj. The vertical armj is mounted on a pivot Z, and under the action of a spring m automatically assumes a tilted position as soon as the cord t is cut by a knife a. The arm j when thus moved is caught by a stop n, electrically connected with a binding-screw 0, and by the contact thus established is the circuit closed. This circuit contains an indicator of well-known form, (represented in Figs. 6 and 7,) which is situated, preferably, either upon the locomotive or upon the baggage-car and contains electrically-operated hands on a dial and an alarm-bell serving to indicate stop, slow speed, or the like. At each side of the apparatus is an electromagnet p, actuating a pawl q when the circuit is closed, that pawl in its turn actuating a ratchet 'r'. The shaft of the latter carries outside of the apparatus a hand .9, which indicates upon a scale the order to slow speed or stop, depending upon which electromagnet has been excited. When the apparatus, Fig. 6, has been actuated, the circuit must be broken and the parts restored to their normal positions by the engine-driver or other official having charge of it.

In the construction shown in Figs. 8 to 10 the knife is elliptically shaped and is rotatably positioned in a suitable support or standard o. By moving the knife from the position Fig. 8 to that shown in Fig. 9 the knife is capable of cutting the cord of the passing train, so as thereby to give the desired signal in the manner above described.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is- In a moving-train indicating apparatus, a counterbalanced knife pivotally secured at one side of the railroad-track, alever for raiscord and operating of the lever, and an elec- 1o ing said knife into operative position, means trically-operated indicator or signal device arfor holding the knife in operative position, ranged in said circuit, as set forth.

and means for holding it in inoperative posi- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my tion, a cord tensely held on moving car in a hand in presence of two witnesses.

position to be severed when the knife is raised, EDOUARD VILPOU'. a pivoted lever secured to said cord, an elec- Witnesses:

tric contact for said lever, an electric circuit EDWARD P. MAGLEAN,

adapted to be closed by the severing of the GEORGE E. LIGHT. 

